


Conscription

by disdainfreely



Series: Of Medics and Gladiators [4]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 22:57:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17876348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disdainfreely/pseuds/disdainfreely
Summary: Megatron and Soundwave have figured out a rhythm that works for them; Soundwave fights in the Pits and Megatron is there to repair him.It's going a little too well for life to let it continue.





	Conscription

“You’re up in a few minutes; don’t forget to protect your left hip. It’s not fully healed yet and that joint shouldn’t take too much damage right now,” Megatron warns Soundwave, who simply nods. He’s focused on watching the mechs currently fighting it out in the ring. 

Megatron is used to Soundwave getting even quieter than usual immediately before a fight, but it doesn’t keep him from worrying. He can tell the cassettes are worried too. He’s gotten better at reading them the more time he spends with Soundwave. They’re clearly worried about every single fight Soundwave goes into, but not in a way that an outsider would be able to pick up on.

“Hey, I was hoping you could help me?” 

Megatron looks up in surprise, reaching a hand out to steady Laserbeak when he notices the cassette starting to puff his plating protectively. Well. All of the cassettes are, but Laserbeak is the most easily within reach.

The mech who approached them is obviously a gladiator, young and ill-fueled. Even though he’s wearing a battlemask, it’s still easy to see that he’s nervous. He hasn’t been well-maintained and in fact Megatron can see sparking wires in his shoulder. He sighs.

“What can I do for you?”

“I heard you’re a good doctor. I was hoping you could help me.” The mech gestures vaguely at his shoulder.

“Hey, he’s here because Soundwave is paying him! Get your own doc!” Frenzy objects. Soundwave gives his creation a reproachful look.

“I can help you.” Megatron ignores the cassette’s protests. It’s not exactly an uncommon request at this point and is in fact frequent enough that Megatron has started to bring excess supplies with the expectation that he’s going to be patching up more mechs than just Soundwave.

“Thank you,” the gladiator says. He sits where Megatron indicates and presents his injured shoulder for inspection. 

“What’s your name?” Megatron asks as he gets to work. It looks like the wiring was torn with a sharp twist. He probably had his arm wrenched behind his back.

“Needlenose. And thank you for this. I can’t really pay you...”

“I know. I’m not doing this for money.” Megatron busies himself replacing what wiring he can. They aren’t in a real medbay, so he doesn’t have access to everything he might ideally be using. “You need to rest this shoulder. Hopefully you don’t have a fight soon?”

“Oh, um, not for a couple days.” Needlenose seems surprised by the concern.

“Try to rest and let that shoulder self-repair until your fight.” Megatron smiles a little as he finishes up what repairs he can manage right here. “You’re all set.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much! It feels so much better.” Needlenose beams from behind his mask. Megatron has significantly improved his skill at reading expressions he can’t see since he started working with Soundwave.

“Take care of yourself,” Megatron orders. He’s trying very hard to mimic Ratchet’s stern doctor voice, though he’s not sure how successful he is.

Needlenose nods to Megatron once more and does an awkward half-nod, half-bow in Soundwave’s direction before fleeing. Megatron sighs. He does want to help people. That’s why he became a medic. It doesn’t make it any less awkward to have mechs come up to him while he’s supposed to be here helping Soundwave.

“One day you’re gonna fix someone that Soundwave’s gonna fight.” Rumble gives Megatron a disapproving look, arms folded. “Then what?”

“I’m a doctor. I’m trained to help anyone who needs it.” Megatron looks to Soundwave, hoping that Rumble isn’t just voicing something that Soundwave is feeling.

“Rumble, desist,” Soundwave says simply. The cassette huffs.

“I’m just saying!” 

“The Pit Masters are going to step in if he pushes into their operations too much,” Ravage warns. “You know they will.”

“I’m just repairing damaged mechs.” Megatron shrugs a little. “They can’t be upset that I’m repairing their fighters, can they?” 

“They’ll be upset that they aren’t controlling who receives repairs and when,” Soundwave says, optics still locked on the mechs in the ring. A roar from the crowd announces the end of the match and Megatron glances over at the greyed, broken frame that’s being dragged out of the ring. The announcer’s voice booms and Soundwave stands.

“Be careful,” Ravage stretches up to touch Soundwave’s hand with his nose. 

“Desist,” Soundwave replies gently.

Megatron knows that Soundwave is a more than capable fighter. He’s been in the Pits for a long time now. Every fight is still nerve-wracking. Soundwave’s opponent steps into the ring, and Megatron can’t help a guilty flush of relief that it isn’t a mech he’s repaired. He shouldn’t be guilty. He’s a doctor. His job is to repair mechs that need it. Rumble is right. Eventually Soundwave is going to fight a mech that Megatron has repaired. Then what? Soundwave is paying for Megatron to be here to repair him, but certainly he’s not forbidden from helping others. Unless his attempts to help are going to get the Pit Masters involved. Primus, Megatron hopes he hasn’t messed all this up. His and Soundwave’s arrangement has been good. He doesn’t want to jeopardize that.

Soundwave’s fight is over quickly, as most of them are, and Soundwave limps out of the ring to be met by a horde of relieved cassettes and an exam from Megatron. Megatron sits him down and starts working immediately.

“Does anything hurt?” Megatron asks as he slaps patches on the places that need patches and examines some frayed wiring in Soundwave’s elbow.

“Nothing you aren’t already treating.” Soundwave lets Megatron manipulate his arm as he wishes. Megatron smiles at the note of approval in Soundwave’s voice and has to duck his head a little to hide it.

“You kicked that dude’s aft!” Frenzy cheers, tugging on Soundwave’s uninjured arm.

“What are they going to do when they run out of mechs for you to fight?” Laserbeak asks. Soundwave just shrugs and shakes his head.

“There are always going to be mechs desperate enough to try and fight Soundwave,” Ravage replies, stretches out beside Soundwave’s feet with a purr.

“Well, we’re done with fighting for today, at least.” Megatron finishes patching Soundwave and leans back. “And it looks like none of your injuries today were too major. You should be just fine.” 

Soundwave nods and experimentally rolls his shoulder and stretches his arm. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Megatron smiles.

There’s a long moment of silence, where Megatron swears that Soundwave is about to say something. He finds himself almost leaning in, wanting to know what Soundwave is going to say, wanting to understand what is making this moment so strangely heavy that even the cassettes seem to be able to sense it.

“The Pit Masters want to see you.” 

Megatron visibly startles at the voice. He looks up to see a massive blue and purple mech who would loom over both Soundwave and Megatron even if they were standing. 

“What do they wanna talk to Soundwave for?” Rumble demands. “It was a good fight!” 

“They don’t want to talk to Soundwave. Just the doctor.” The mech smiles and Megatron feels his spark freeze.

“Why the doc?” Frenzy puffs himself up defensively. Megatron is almost flattered by their protectiveness. 

“That, little one, would seem to be none of your concern.” The mech reaches down and grabs Megatron, hauling him up to his feet seemingly without effort. Megatron risks a glance at Soundwave, who’s gone even more silent and still than normal. Soundwave’s response is more frightening than the mech himself. 

“I’ll come with you,” Megatron says warily. He pulls his arm back and is surprised that he’s actually released.

“Oh good. Off we go.” The mech grins down at Soundwave. “Keep winning like this and maybe you and I will get to fight.”

Soundwave stays silent, but Rumble apparently can’t contain himself. 

“Frag off, Overlord!” 

Megatron can practically feel the temperature drop. Overlord’s smile takes on an additional edge. Soundwave’s hand shoots out to grab Rumble and tuck the cassette behind himself. His plating is flared and Megatron realizes that he’s never seen Soundwave make this kind of display, not even in a literal pit fight. Overlord’s smile is almost enough to convince Megatron to just run, but that won’t end well and he knows it. Especially not for the cassettes. They’re so small and fragile-looking.

“Didn’t someone want to see me?” Megatron asks. He almost regrets it as Overlord’s eyes turn back to him.

“That’s right; they do. Best not keep them waiting.” The massive hand comes down again on Megatron’s shoulder to pull him away. Megatron glances behind him as they go. Soundwave and the cassettes are standing stock still, all optics locked on Megatron. In that moment, Megatron feels cripplingly helpless. The mech holding him could kill him on a whim.

Overlord pulls Megatron through the halls. Most of the mechs they pass scurry to get out of their way. Megatron recognizes many of them as mechs he has repaired. Apparently he’s been working on more gladiators than he thought. He considers trying to pull away because he can walk on his own, but he has a feeling that Overlord wouldn’t appreciate it.

“Here we are.” Overlord stops in front of a massive door. He sounds far too amused for Megatron to be comfortable. “I’ll be waiting for you right here.” He pushes Megatron sharply towards the door. Megatron glances back over his shoulder. The look Overlord is giving him is frightening enough for Megatron to open the door and step inside without further hesitation. 

“So you’re the doctor who’s been interfering in my operations.”

It takes Megatron a moment to settle enough to actually focus on the mech who’s speaking to him. The mech is massive, though not as large as Overlord. He’s certainly at least as large as Megatron.

“I’ve just been doing repairs for mechs who have asked me,” Megatron says warily.

“I’ve got my own medics for that, and my own supplies. I decide who gets repaired. I decide when they get repaired. I decide how much they’re worth to repair.” The mech leans forward, folding his hands on his desk. “But I haven’t even introduced myself yet. My name is Clench. I own these Pits, and you now work for me.” 

“I don’t work for you,” Megatron objects.

“No? So you want to go back to the mines. I can certainly report you instead. A miner not working in the mines, being trained by an academy medic at an underground clinic? I’m sure the Enforcers would appreciate that information.” Clench grins.

Megatron’s spark tightens with fear. Primus, he hadn’t thought anyone would actually turn him in. It would against the self-interest of any of the denizens of the Dead End. All it would do would lose them at least one doctor, if it didn’t also drive Ratchet away. Ratchet had told him to be cautious of gladiators, but Megatron hadn’t considered this possibility.

If he says no, if he’s reported, Ratchet will be in trouble too. If Sentinel Prime hears that his personal doctor has been running an illegal clinic...Megatron doesn’t really want to think about it. Ratchet’s told him enough that Megatron knows Sentinel cannot know what Ratchet is doing. And even beyond fear of Sentinel Prime’s reprisals, the clinic will be closed. Neither he nor Ratchet will be able to help anyone in the Dead End. He became a doctor to help people.

“I won’t come back to the Pits again. I’ll only work at the clinic,” Megatron offers, hoping that this might be enough to placate Clench into letting him go. It’s not ideal. He likes helping Soundwave and keeping him patched up, but surely Soundwave can still come to him at the clinic, and he’ll understand the necessity of the change.

Clench shakes his head. “We’re past that now.”

Megatron bites his lip, wracking his processor for some option that will end with Megatron still at the clinic and unreported. Ratchet does have political allies, but he doubts most of them would be willing to stick their neck out for this clinic. 

He doesn’t really have a choice. 

“What do you want from me?” Megatron asks finally.

“Just for you to keep doing what you’re doing, but in my medbay. I currently have three other medics for you to supervise. You’ll work exclusively for me. That is your only offer.” Clench is smiling in a painfully self-satisfied way.

Megatron doesn’t know what to say. He has no options. He has no way out of this that he can see. He just stares and swallows the anger that’s trying to choke his spark.

“I live at the clinic,” is what finally escapes his vocalizer.

“We have a place for you to live here. You can fetch your belongings tonight and return in the morning.”

Megatron thinks of the little clinic and the small, clean room that is his home. He thinks of the evenings spent studying on his berth or wandering out to ask Ratchet questions about a datapad. He thinks of the terminal that Ratchet brought just for him, the one that Soundwave set up. He thinks of his patients, of all the extra time the clinic can be open since Ratchet declared Megatron fit to work unsupervised.

This mech is trying to take all that away from him.

And he’s succeeding.

“So do we have a deal? Or do I need to call the Enforcers?” Clench asks. He’s smiling, but it’s not a pleasant expression.

Megatron grits his teeth. “We have a deal. I’ll be back in the morning. I need to get my things.”

Clench’s smile widens. “I’ll see you here tomorrow, then. If you don’t make it back, Overlord might have to come looking for you.”

Megatron can’t think of anything he can possibly say in response, not when his spark is choking on the idea of Overlord wreaking havoc on the little clinic, so he just stiffly nods and stands. Clench continues to smile. Megatron swallows the urge to just start screaming.

Overlord is waiting for him outside.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Doctor.” 

Megatron glares up at him. He feels helpless and it’s a sensation he’s rapidly growing to hate. He’s built for doing things, not just submitting to the whims of some aft. Not even an aft that could rip him apart. Overlord doesn’t stop him as he walks by. He’s not sure exactly how to get out of the Pits, but he keeps walking.

“Megatron!”

Megatron stops abruptly at the familiar voice. Rumble and Frenzy run up to him.

“You’re okay! Soundwave’s been looking for you! He’s coming this way! He’ll be happy to see you!” Frenzy beams up at Megatron, but Rumble seems more subdued.

“Hey, Overlord didn’t hurt you, did he?” Rumble rests a small hand on Megatron’s leg. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.” 

“It wasn’t you, Rumble, and he didn’t hurt me,” Megatron assures him. Rumble seems unconvinced, but he doesn’t argue. 

The speed with which Soundwave arrives is surprising. He’s radiating urgency and concern and skids to a stop in front of Megatron. 

“You’re not injured,” Soundwave sounds relieved. 

“All of you expected him to kill me, didn’t you?” Megatron asks with an attempt at a smile.

“Overlord is the murdering type,” Ravage comments from near Soundwave’s feet. “What did he want from you?” 

“Clench wanted to talk to me. He...made me an offer.” Megatron looks away.

“Clench doesn’t make offers.” Soundwave rests a hand on Megatron’s arm. “What happened?”

“He’s requiring me to come work as a doctor here in the Pits. If I don’t, he’s going to report me to the Enforcers and get Ratchet’s clinic shut down.”

The words almost physically hurt to say, and there’s a long silence before anyone attempts to speak again.

“I...” Soundwave starts, but falls silent.

“I need to get back to the clinic and get my things. I have to be back in the morning.” Megatron looks away. “I’ll see you later.” He brushes past Soundwave and the silent cassettes. He’s almost out of the Pits entirely before someone calls after him. He glances over his shoulder to see that Soundwave hurrying to catch up to him.

“Let me escort you back to the clinic. Overlord would find it amusing to follow you.”

Megatron considers asking him to leave, but Soundwave is probably right. He sighs heavily.

“Thank you.”

Soundwave falls into easy step beside him, and they walk in silence for most of the way. Megatron is grateful for it. He’s going to have to explain all of this to Ratchet and the thought of it makes his spark ache. He knows Ratchet won’t take it well. 

Soundwave finally breaks the silence. “I’m sorry this has happened. I brought you into the Pits.”

“It’s not your fault. I wanted to help. I should have listened to Ratchet. He warned me about gladiators. I think he meant you, but the advice was still sound.” Megatron laughs a little bitterly. Soundwave doesn’t reply for a long moment.

“Did you fear me?” he asks, not looking at Megatron.

“No. No, I was never afraid of you. Not really. You never gave me cause to be.” Megatron shakes his head. “Relatively few of the gladiators have.” 

Soundwave doesn’t reply, and the rest of the walk to the clinic is silent. They pause outside the door.

“I should go,” Megatron says softly.

“I’ll walk you back tomorrow,” Soundwave promises. He looks away. “I’m sorry that this happened.”

“I know you wouldn’t have brought me in if you’d known what would happen.” Megatron manages a smile. “At least if I’m working in the Pits, I can keep repairing you.”

“That was not high on my list of concerns in this situation.” Soundwave reaches out to tentatively touch Megatron’s arm. “We will find a way to free you. This is not going to be permanent.”

Megatron stares at him. “You’re...planning to help me get out?”

“Yes, I will.” Soundwave’s mask clicks open and Megatron has to keep staring. It’s the first time he’s seen Soundwave’s face, even with all the repairs he’s done. It’s surprisingly unmarred and nicely formed and before Megatron knows what he’s doing he’s leaning in and kissing Soundwave and Primus, Soundwave is kissing him back and for one long moment everything is fine and nothing is wrong.

Reality comes crashing back down as soon as the kiss ends. Megatron finds his vocalizer locked up too tightly to speak. Soundwave cups Megatron’s face in his hands.

“We will free you. I promise.”

Megatron forces a smile. “I trust you.” He chokes out a laugh as Soundwave kisses him again. “I do need to go pack and explain everything to Ratchet.” 

“I’ll be back in the morning,” Soundwave promises. “Call me if you need anything.” 

“I will,” Megatron promises. He catches a hint of a smile from Soundwave before his mask clicks shut again. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Megatron can feel Soundwave’s eyes on him until the clinic door closes behind him.

“You’re back! How’s your gladiator?” Ratchet calls from the office.

“Soundwave is fine,” Megatron calls back. He heads directly for the office and resist lingering in the doorway to watch Ratchet work for just a minute.

The older mech looks up. “Hm? You look like something is wrong.” 

“I have to talk to you.” Megatron takes his usual seat in front of Ratchet’s desk. “Something happened today.”

Ratchet sits up a little straighter, setting his file down. “What is it?”

Megatron’s vocalizer locks up. He has to take a moment to vent, to force himself to think of Soundwave’s steady assurance, and relax.

“A lot happened. Let me start at the beginning.”


End file.
